Rahamim Ecology Centre will close its doors early next year after 12 years educating the Bathurst community on sustainable ecological practices and environmental awareness.
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McAuley Ministries Limited announced last week that the centre will close on April 30, 2020, with a statement from chief executive officer Denise Fox citing maintenance costs as a key reason behind the closure.
"The level of subsidy per annum to enable the ministry to continue has been deemed financially unsustainable now and into the future," Ms Fox's statement said.
"This is, in particular, due to the current competing demands on the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea's resources."
While sad to see Rahamim close, manager Sister Patricia Powell said the venue has served a multitude of purposes to benefit the Bathurst community over the years.
"The Sisters of Mercy have been on this property for 110 years and in that time, we've offered this place as a sanctuary for people to congregate, discuss shared interests and work together on a range of community programs," Sr Patricia said.
"As Rahamim, we've helped the community become more aware of the environment around them."
Since Rahamim launched in 2007, the centre has facilitated programs for residents to learn sustainable ecological practices and gain a further insight into human impact on the environment.
"Our main goal has been to help ourselves and each other understand how the planet works and how we can interact with our environment in a respectful way," Sr Patricia said.
"Of course, we need jobs and energy, but the planet is finite in its resources and some of the industrial advances that were great ideas in the past are now causing serious problems to our environment."
Sr Patricia is encouraging those interested in ecological matters to continue backing groups such as the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network [BCCAN] and Greening Bathurst.
"We're sad to lose Rahamim, but the concern around our planet's future is now ingrained into public consciousness," she said.
"The science is there for people to readily access, and you only have to turn on the television or jump online to see the impact of climate change on this planet."
What do you think?
Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
